Railway-signal.



A. E. GAUTHI EH. RAILWAY SIGNAL. APPLICATION. FILED JAN- 6, I915- Patented Feb. 20,1917.

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awn bo a JZEZGauZhien Patented Feb. 20,1917.

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UNETE FEFEQE.

ALBERT ERNEST GAUTI-IIER, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT E. GAUTHIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bay City, in the county of Bay and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway- Signals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in signaling devices for railways and resides in the provision of simple and efiective signaling means that is arranged upon a train in such manner as to operate an alarm in the cab of the locomotive of the train should one of the cars of the train become detached.

One of the principal. objects of my invention is to provide simple and effective circuit closing means for a train carried electrical circuit which is operatively associated with a signal carried in the cab, said means being so arranged that when the cars are uncoupled, the circuit for the signaling means will be closed and the signaling means operated.

Another object is to provide a signal of the character described which will be of simple construction, is capable of being readily and easily attached to locomotives and cars without necessitating any material change in the construction thereof and which is cheap to manufacture and install.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims.

lVith reference to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which similar reference numerals designate corre sponding parts,

Figure 1 is a view tached to the cars of ing it and the cars in side elevation,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of one of the contact members showing it in closed position and fragmentary portion. of the car to which it is attached,

Fig. 4: is a detail sectional View showing another of the circuit closing members for showing my device at- Specification of Letters Patent.

a railway train show- Patented Feb. 23, 1917.

Application filed January 6, 1915. Serial N 0. 824.

connecting the cars of the train with one another, and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical circuit for the device, and

Fig. 6.is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view showing one of the contact clips.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of a part of the electrical circuit for the device.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, A designates the ca rs of a train. Depending supporting plates 1 are carried at the ends of the cars A.

Carried upon the rear end of each of the cars A and secured to the supporting plates 1 are automatic circuit closing devices 2. Each of these devices comprises a pair of pivoted metallic contact bars Each of the bars 3 is pivoted as at 4- to a bracket 5 that is secured to and extends outwardly from the plate 1 at a point adjacent to the upper edge of the'plate. The bracket 5 and the bars 3 are disposed in the same horizontal planeand spaced from one another. Secured beneath the bracket 5 and in alinement therewith, are

spring contact clips 6 that are carried by the 4 plates 1 and extend outwardly therefrom in the same manner as the bracket 5, two of these clips being provided. The clips 6 are so arranged as to receive and clamp the bars 3 as will be later more fully described. Carried upon the inner faces of the plates 1 at the rear ends of the cars A are binding posts 7 and 8 respectively, which are electrically connected with the bracket 5 and conta ct clips 6 respectively.

Carried upon the plates 1 at the front end of each of the cars is a pair of contact clips 9 similar to the ones 6. Each of these spring clips 9 disposed in the same horizontal plane as the bars 3 but is permitted relative movement. A flexible element 10 serves to secure the contact clips 9 to the plates 1 in such manner that the clips 9 are permitted deviation relative to the horizontal axis of the train and vertical axis thereof. The spring clips.9 are arranged to receive and hold the free ends of the bars 3 in such manner that the bars are supported in spaced relation to the clips 6. Should the cars become uncoupled, it will be seen that the clips 9 carried upon one car will move from engagement with the bars 3 of the ad jacent car and allow said. bars 3 to drop down into frictional. contact with the clips 6. Switch plugs 11 are carried upon the i so that the plugs 11 may plates 1 at the forward ends of the cars and each plug comprises a transverse supporting bar 12 which carries spaced contact plugs 13 which are arranged to be frictionally held by the clips 6 shown in Fig. 1.

Electrical conductors 1 L secure the plugs 11 to the plates 1 and are connected with binding posts or members 15 carried by the plate 1. The conductors 14 are arranged be permitted movement relative to the plates 1 so as to allow for the relative movement of the cars when coupled. As a means for preventing the bars 3 at the end of the rear car of a train from contacting with the contact clips 6 and closing the circuit as will be later more fully described, I provide slidable sleeves 1(3 and 17 of insulating material that are slidably mounted upon the bars 3 and are connected by a connecting rod 18. Setscrews 19 are carried by the sleeves 16 and 17 and provide means for holding the sleeves in adjusted position. It will be seen that when it is desirous to prevent the bar 8 at the rear end of the rear car of the train from contacting with the corresponding contact or clip 6, the sleeves are adjusted so that they are disposed in a position to engage with the clips and prevent engagement of the bars 3 therewith.

I provide signaling means 20 which in this instance is an electric bell and is to be carried in the cab of the locomotive of the train. Conductors 2-1 and 22 connect the circuit closing mechanism 2 at the rear end of the locomotive with the bell and are connected with the brackets 5 by means of the binding posts 7 respectively. On each of the cars A are placed electrical conductors 23 and 24 which connect the clips 9 and brackets 5 at the ends of each car 11 and clips 6 respectively, as shown clearly in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

It will thus be seen that all of the circuit closing mechanisms are electrically connected.

I provide a battery or other suitable source of current 25 that is to be carried by the train at some suitable point, preferably the cab of the locomotive and is'connected by means of conductors 27 and 28 to the two binding posts 8 for the clips 6 at the rear end of the locomotive. Connecting the clip 6 of each car with the plugs 11 of each car are conductors 29 and 30.

In operation, the circuit closing members at the ends of the cars are connected as shown in Fig. 1, the bars 3 being connected and held in position by means of the clips 9 and the clips (5 connected with and holding the plugs 13. Should any one of the cars become detached it will be seen that the plugs 11 are removed from coupled position.

When the bars 8 are free from the clips 9 and the plugs 13 moved out of engagement with the clips 6, the bar 3 will fall by force of gravity into engagement with the clips 6 and be held in such engagement by the spring action of the clipsand close the circuit for the signal 20. The circuit may be traced for example from the battery 25 through the wire 27, contact clip 6, one of the bars 3 through the wire 21 to the bell, from the bell through the wire 22 to the clip 6, the other bar 3, the other contact clip (3,

and the wire 28 to the other side of the battery. With this arrangement it will be seen that should any one of the cars of the train become detached, the signal 22 will immediately be operated. By supporting the circuit closing members with flexible elements 10, suflicient relative movement is permitted the circuit closing element to prevent accidental derangement thereof when the car is subjected to a jerky pull or forced together with great force.

In practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most efiicient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention, as claimed.

What is claimed is z- 1. In a railway signal, the combination with the cars of a train, of a signaling means to be carried by the locomotive of the train, supporting plates depending from the ends of the cars, circuit closing members carried by the supporting plates at the ends of the cars of the train, each of the circuit closing members comprising contact clips, pivoted contact bars supported above the contact clips, and adapted to engage said clips by the force of gravity when released, and means to releasably hold the bars in a horizontal position to be released when the cars are uncoupled, an electrical connection between said bars, clips and the supporting means.

2. The combination with the cars of a train having a signal carried in the locomotive of the train, of an electrical circuit, and supporting plates carried by and depending from the opposite ends of the cars, brackets arranged on some of said plates, bars pivotally mounted in said brackets, spring clips carried by other of said plates and adapted to receive the free ends of the bars therein for holding the same in horizontal position, said plates, brackets and spring clips being in said electrical circuit, contact plate clips carried by said plates and positioned below the brackets and in direct alinement life therewith, said contact plate clips being in the said electrical circuit and adapted to receive the ends of the bars, When said cars are uncoupled, for closing said circuit.

3. The combination With the cars of a train of an electrical circuit a signal carried in the locomotive of the train, said signal being in said electrical circuit, and means carried by the cars of the train to operate the signaling means should any one of the cars become uncoupled, said means comprising brackets, pivoted contact bars pivotally secured to said brackets, contact clips arranged below and in direct alinement With said brackets, means for holding the bars out of contact with the clips When the cars are coupled and adapted to release said bars whereby they may drop intoiengagement With the clip and close the circuit, and means carried by said bars for preventing the bars on the rear end of the rear car of the train from contacting with the clips.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

ALBERT ERNEST GAUTHIER. Witnesses ALTA BELLE GAUTHIER, MARY E. Snoon.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, I). G. 

